Receptacle closure



Get. 16, 1%34. ENGEl-s 1,976,720

RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed April 5, 1932 Patented Oct. 16, 1934 UNITED,STATES RECEPTACLE CLOSURE William H. Engels, Rahway, N. J., assignor toMerck & (30., Inc., Rahway, N. J a corporation of New Jersey ApplicationApril 6, 1932, Serial No. 603,566

1 Claim.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inreceptacle closures.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an automatic gravityclosure for receptacles especially adapted for containing chemicals andmedicinal substances, such as powdered materials, to prevent unnecessaryexposure of the contents to atmospheric moisture, contamination withdirt or dust, or evaporation of volatile ingredients.

A further object of the invention is to provide a receptacle closure ofthe foregoing character wherein a valve plate is removably and pivotallysupported on an inwardly directed flange carried by the receptacleadjacent to its upper end, with the pivot point at one side of thevertical axis of the receptacle to provide an overbalancedgravitationally closing valve plate that is ofiset at its pivot point tooccupy two parallel planes with the valve plate at opposite sides of thepivot point respectively engageable with the under and upper sides ofthe receptacle flange when the valve plate is in closed position.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent asthe nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists inthe novel form, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter morefully described, shown in the accompanying drawing and claimed.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the receptacle equipped with theimproved closure of this invention and illustrating the usual outerflanged cover;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the receptacle with the outer flangedcover removed and illustrating the valve closure plate beneath theflanged cover;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the receptacle with the valve plateremoved and illustrating the inwardly directed flange on the receptaclehaving diametrically opposite notches for the removable reception of thevalve plate;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the valve plate removed from the receptacle;

Figure 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on line 5-5 ofFigure 1, showing the olfset shoulder intermediate the ends of the valveplate with opposite ends of the valve plate in spaced parallel planesrespectively engageable with the under and upper sides of the receptacleflange; and

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view, similar to Figure 5, showing theflanged cover removed and the valve plate partially moved to openposition,

full open position of the valve plate being illustrated by dotted lines.

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawing, the referencenumeral Fig. 1 designates a can or receptacle of any preferred shape oroutline designed for automatic gravitationally acting closure when innormal upright position while a removable flanged cover 11 isfrictionally retained upon the upper end of the receptacle 10 when thepackage is out of use.

The object of this invention being to prevent or minimize the entranceof moisture and dust into the receptacle and to retard the escape ofvolatile ingredients therefrom, the receptacle at its upper end and inproximity of the flanged closure 11 carries a flanged structure thatincludes an inwardly directed horizontal flange 12 with which a valveplate is associated. The valve plate 13 comprises end sections 14 and 15connected by an ofiset angle shoulder 16 to present the end sections 14and 15 of the valve plate in parallel planes, the end section 15 of thevalve plate being of less width and less length than the end section 14to provide an overbalanced gravitationally closing valve when the latteris operative- 1y engaged with the flange 12 upon the receptacle 10,within the notches 17. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the opposite sidesof the flange 12 are notched as at 1'7 at one side of the vertical axisof the receptacle 10 for the passage of the end section 15 of the valveplate, the side edges of the end section 14 being engaged with theflange 12 outwardly of the notches 17 to limit passage of the valveplate through the notched flange, movement of the valve plate also beinggreater than the distance between the edges of opposite sides of theflange 12 and of a length from the shoulder 16 to the free edge thereof,greater than the length from the notches 1'7 to the adjacent end of theflange 12. The end section 14 of the valve plate is greater than thedistance between the edges of opposite sides of the flange 12 and isalso of a length that when the valve plate assumes the horizontalposition illustrated in Figure 5, the end section 14 flatly rests uponthe upper face of the flange 12, while the end section 15 flatly engagesthe under face of the flange 12, the depth of the shoulder 16 beingsubstantiallyequal to the thickness of the flange 12 so that the endsections 14 and 15 of the valve plate flatly engage respectivelyopposite sides of the flange 12.

In the practical employment of the receptacle, the flanged cover 11 isremoved and the receptacle is opened by exerting digital pressure uponthe short end of the valve (15) or by tilting the receptacle when thevalve plate 13 gravitationally opens to permit discharge of the contentsof the receptacle; and when the receptacle is returned to the normalvertical position, the valve plate 13 gravitationally closes, due to theoverbalanced mounting thereof to provide a closure for the receptacleeven when the flanged outer cover remains removed, thus protecting thecontents of the receptacle from the entrance of moisture or otherforeign matter, and from evaporation of volatile constituents of thecontents.

While there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes inform or detailed adaptation of the parts may be made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:--

A self-closing container and discharge receptacle with an outerremovable cover, having in combination therewith a container bodyprovided with an inwardly directed flange adjacent its upper endprovided with diametrically opposite notches laterally of the verticalaxis of the receptacle; and a valve plate, pivotally supported in theflange notches, and offset into parallel planes at the notches, wherebyone end of the valve plate flatly engages the upper side of the flangeat one end, and the other end of the valve plate flatly engages theunder side of the flange at the other end in the position of closure;the relative dimensions being such that the transverse space of thenotches is substantially the same as the thickness of the materialcomprising the valve plate and adapted to hold the valve plate in rigidposition except as to free movement of the valve plate from the positionof closure to the perpendicular open position, and the degree and formof the offset in the valve plate being such as to limit the range ofmovement of the valve 'plate beyond perpendicular position with respectto the top plane of the container by resting the upper angle of theoffset upon the upper face of the body flange and contacting the lowerangle of the offset against the inner side of the notches and bodyflange. WILLIAM H. ENGELS.

